Easy Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken make the best weeknight dinner with virtually no clean up since everything is cooked on one sheet pan. Plus the homemade honey mustard sauce made with honey, olive oil, garlic, whole grain mustard, and thyme couldn't be more delicious. Serve it with some Baked Crispy Broccoli or quinoa.

In my opinion, it's hard to beat anything that is covered in honey mustard. The sweet and savory combo is hard to beat and ever since I was a kid, I have loved it. However, the traditional version is normally packed with tons of extra sugar and mayonnaise. And although it tastes delicious, it's definitely not the best option when you are trying to eat healthily. Luckily with just a few changes, you can make this delicious updated honey mustard chicken packed with all the same flavors and ready on your table in less than 30 minutes.

And to make things incredibly easy, this is a sheet pan dinner. All you have to do is whip together the sauce and add everything to a sheet pan. Cover the chicken and baby carrots in the sauce and into the oven it goes. It couldn't be easier. Then after 20-25 minutes, dinner is ready. Usually, I make some steamed rice, baked potatoes, or a large green salad to serve on the side and its a dinner everyone loves.

Tips for Making Honey Mustard Chicken

• I recommend covering your baking sheet is foil before making this dish since some of the extra honey can burn during cooking. Although this is easy to clean on most baking sheets, there is literally no clean up if you cover your baking sheet in foil first.
• You can easily switch out the veggies in this recipe depending on what you have on hand. For slow cooking veggies like parsnips, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, or diced sweet potatoes, you can just swap them in for the carrots. For quicker cooking veggies like green beans, zucchini, summer squash, or broccoli, add them with 10-12 minutes left so that they don't overcook.
• It's easy to switch out the spices in this recipe or leave them out completely if your family isn't a big fan. Rosemary or oregano are both good options if thyme isn't your favorite spice.

How to make honey mustard sauce for chicken?

There are lots of variations when it comes to honey mustard sauces, but this basic sauce will work for all kinds of baked chicken dishes. It's also great to serve on the side as a dipping sauce. Here's a basic recipe with a few ideas for how to switch it up. 

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard (more to taste)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp thyme (sub rosemary or oregano)
• Make it creamy: add Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, or sour cream

What to serve with honey mustard chicken?

Since there is a lot of sweetness in the chicken, I like to serve it with some nice roasted vegetables or a grain that can soak up some of the extra honey mustard sauce. Here are some favorites:

• Roasted parmesan cauliflower makes a great side dish option and adds some extra veggies and nutrients.
• I love to add some greens to this dish with a simple green salad. You can drizzle it with extra honey mustard sauce or use a homemade healthy ranch.
• For some simple, you can add a simple baked potato or sweet potato.
• Create a delicious bowl with some cooked brown rice or quinoa, plenty of chicken and carrots, and an extra drizzle of honey mustard.

Can I use chicken breasts for honey mustard chicken?

This recipe works with chicken breasts as well. To make sure they are cooked through in the same amount of time, you may need to butterfly large chicken breasts since they will take longer than 25 minutes. You could also use chicken breast tenderloins, but make sure to check them after 20 minutes to make sure they don't overcook.

What's the best mustard to use?

Personally, I like to use whole grain mustard when making honey mustard sauce. If you don't have whole grain mustard, you can use Dijon mustard. Plain yellow mustard will also work, but I find it doesn't add as much flavor. You may need to use more than the one tablespoon used in the recipe.

Can I use different vegetables? Can I add potatoes?

You can definitely switch up the vegetables in this recipe, but you need to be cognizant of the time they take to cook. Some veggies that make great substitutions without needing to adjust the cooking time include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, or cabbage. For quicker cooking vegetables, like green beans, snap peas, or broccoli - you need to add them to the sheet pan in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.

Looking for other one pan chicken recipes?

• One Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken and Asparagus
• One Pan Spicy Peanut Chicken and Broccoli
• One Pan Honey Mustard Chicken Balsamic Chicken and Broccoli
• One Pan Roasted Balsamic Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

Here are some of the tools I used to help me prepare this dish.

• Baking sheet: There are so many options out there but I have been using this brand for years and find they hold up really well.
• Honey: Since honey is the main flavor in this recipe, the honey you use will make a big difference. Ideally, you want natural honey that hasn't been overly filtered and doesn't have a lot other added sweeteners (unfortunately I am looking at you honey bear). For cooking meats, I tend to reach for orange blossom honey since I love the citrus undertones but any delicious, natural honey will work.
• Whole grain mustard: Like the honey, the mustard you use will also make a big difference in the taste of the recipe. I am a sucker for whole grain mustard and my favorite is this one. Trader Joe's also made a great whole grain Dijon mustard. If you don't have or like whole grain mustard, use a Dijon mustard to add more flavor instead of basic yellow mustard.
• Heavy duty aluminum foil: There is nothing I hate more than when I cover a baking sheet in foil for easy clean up only to find out the foil has ripped or leaked during cooking. After trying lots of different foils, I almost always use this heavy duty one and it never leaks on me.

This post was originally shared in 2017 but has been updated with new photos, tips, and a video.